Gamers of the Underworld

Panda Novel

“Gosh, offline maintenance and updates?”

“Isn’t the game updated while we’re online? Why is the update done offline this time?”

“The servers were kept running for a month. If the servers aren’t maintained, won’t they overheat?”

“Not bad, it’s better than Unix servers since there’s only offline maintenance once a month.”

“How long is the maintenance? Is there a notice on the official website?”

“Let’s go offline. Go, go, go. Let’s go to our Residential Area to go offline.”

…

The Residential Area was designated by Sherlock and could be sold to gamers at one silver coin per two square meters.

Every gamer was only allowed to purchase a private land of two square meters.

This was to cater to their requirement for privacy so that they could place a bed and even a private storage box.

Sherlock originally intended to purchase a seven- to eight-story bed for everyone to use. It could save space, improve land usage efficiency, and improve the gamers’ relationships. Perhaps some bedroom culture as well, though they didn’t move when they were offline.

Sherlock couldn’t help recalling his 90 years of voluntary education, which was his youthful period…

“Lord Sherlock, everyone is offline. Those who weren’t offline were forced offline.”

While Sherlock was reminiscing about his youth in his school period, Bru interrupted him.

Sherlock gazed outside the Dungeon Core Main Hall, and only a handful of Goblins laid outside sleeping. Most of the Goblins had gone to the Residential Area to go offline.

The Residential Area was way past the Blacksmith Shop and the Carpenter Workshop around the corner. It was a newly excavated space, so Sherlock was unable to see it from his location.

Sherlock walked out of the Dungeon Core Main hall. It was dead quiet. Sherlock wasn’t used to the serenity.

He arranged the few Goblins that were lying outside the Dungeon Core Main Hall in a corner. He saw a Goblin lying on a seedbed next to the Blacksmith Shop. He lifted the Goblin and placed the Goblin in a corner.

Little Fairy that was squirming on a bed by the flowerbed looked around in terror. She witnessed how the Devil Lord threw his citizens in a corner and heard the slamming sounds as they landed.

The evil Devil Lord wasn’t taking care of his citizens. How scary!

Those chattering Goblins who would harass her daily were suddenly possessed as they ran laughing back to their rooms to sleep. Those who didn’t have rooms fell to the ground. Even the Goblin, Raintea, who was cultivating flowers fell to the soil and never woke up.

The Devil Lord must have placed an evil curse or used Mana on the Goblins. It was horrifying!

Little Fairy curled herself into a ball.

Sherlock ignored Little Fairy, who was imagining things. He cleared the gamers who were blocking the way, then he summoned Moroes, Mufasa, and Simba.

The two Blackiron Dwarves and the Gnome were curious about what had happened to the Goblins. Lord Sherlock didn’t intend to explain. He held his Magic Stone card and said to them, “I’m paying your salary today according to daily rates. Let’s synchronize our time so that it will facilitate the next payday. I’m giving you two days of leave. You may visit Winterfell or your family. You can’t be working all the time. Working 672 hours per month is sufficient. I’m a generous Devil Lord.”

When everyone heard about their salary, what Lord Sherlock said after that wasn’t important.

As long as the salary was paid, it didn’t matter whether one was working 996 (9am to 9pm 6 days a week), 12127 (12pm to 12am 7 day week), or 727 (7am to 2am 7 day week) overtime, everyone could accept it!

Why else would everyone work so hard? For love? For responsibility?

It was poverty!

Even if it was the Underworld, they had to eat.

The period of dark hatred, bloody wars, and the destruction of the world had passed.

Everyone obtained their salary happily. Sherlock generously provided a Teleport Scroll and sent them to the Winterfell Teleport Portal Reception Hall before returning to Eternal Kingdom alone. He started editing the background story, Main Plot, and the update announcement:

“A long time ago, the Underworld was filled with chaotic evil. The creatures were living in darkness, death, and extreme hopelessness for millions of years.

Thousands of years ago, the rays of Order appeared in the northern Underworld…”

It was an evil and chaotic Underworld that was stricken with blood and inferno, the hellish end of days.

A few powerful superior Devils appeared. They collaborated and defeated other Chaos Devils and chased them out. After which, they built an Underworld based on Order.

It was brutal, but according to Bru’s suggestion, the gamers loved this kind of background story. They were born with this kind of righteousness.

Next was the added version plot:

[“Dungeon: Eternal Kingdom” latest version: Specter Legion]

“For thousands of years, peace and order were maintained in the Underworld. But the Void Devils that were released tried to destroy the Underworld.

With the leadership of the Void Devil, Ba.Mannoroth.Con, the Underworld was cast in the Void’s shadow…

The Void Devil leader, Ba.Mannoroth.Con, led his Specter Legion to the vicinity near Eternal Kingdom. Though they were defeated by the heroes from Eternal Kingdom, Ba.Mannoroth.Con and his Specter Legion had gained a foothold in the Underworld.

Before Specter College, there was the famous College—Ranlada. It had trained many notable Magicians.

In ancient times, Ranlada chose to help the Order faction. In the battle of Chaos and Order, Ranlada was completely destroyed.

The previously beautiful Ranlada was filled with death. It became a forbidden place for the living and a heaven for the undead.

According to Eternal Kingdom’s Non-Existing Intelligence Organization’s intelligence, the Void leader, Ba.Mannoroth.Con, returned to the battlefield and built a new Specter College—one filled with Skeleton Soldiers running amok and Undead Liches. Their numbers were still increasing. When would they attack Eternal Kingdom again? Or other targets? Was Ba.Mannoroth.Con still in the Specter College?

It was still a huge mystery. Nobody had the answer…

Citizens of Eternal Kingdom, heroes of the Underworld! Take up your weapons and defend our beloved Underworld!”

Sherlock continued editing the version update log—[“Dungeon: Eternal Kingdom” Version 0.03 Update Log]

“‘Dungeon: Eternal Kingdom’ Version 0.03 Update Log. The new contents will be online two days after the maintenance:

Upgraded to a new game version. [“Dungeon: Eternal Kingdom” latest version: Specter Legion]: For details, please refer to version description.

Added new Attribute, Close Combat (Long Range) Weapon Level: The value will be calculated according to gamer’s constitution, training performance, Reputation Level, and amount of combat experience with the weapon. The initial level is 1.

Added new Instance Dungeon, ‘Specter College: Training Grounds’: New Liches Training Ground. They are Ba.Mannoroth.Con’s newly recruited Liches, the evil clutches of the Specter Legion. They possess Undead Magic and control Specter servants. They are considered the worst nightmare on the battlefield. Gamers with Reputation Level 2 (30,000 Reputation Points) and Close Combat (Long Range) Weapon Level 2 can enter. The minimum number of gamers is five. Every Instance Dungeon BOSS is independent and random. Killing the Instance Dungeon monsters and BOSS will reward Reputation Points.

Added new equipment service, Instance Dungeon equipment appraisal and purchase: Gamers can receive equipment as loot from ‘Specter College: Training Grounds’. Gamers can bring the loot to Eternal Kingdom and spend a fixed price for Bru to appraise the item, or they can exchange it for Reputation Points and coins.

Added new equipment service, Equipment Redemption: Gamers who perish in ‘Specter College: Training Grounds’ and lose their equipment can redeem their equipment from Bru a day later using a fixed amount of coins and Reputation Points. The improvement level of the equipment will remain intact.

Added new Instance Dungeon Daily Mission, Daily Exploration of ‘Specter College: Training Grounds’: Eternal Kingdom requires you to explore Specter College for intelligence and diminish the Specter Legion’s power. Killing enough Specters (0/10) will reward coins and Reputation Points.

Added new area construction Teleport Portal: A Teleport Portal to ‘Specter College: Training Grounds’ was installed at the plaza outside the Dungeon Core Main Hall. Winterfell will be the Teleport Interchange. During the Teleport, gamers will be unable to move around in Winterfell.”